Below normal -1. (M).
A small quantity. (GR).
At Ferryland, harbour frozen Feb 1st, and drift ice passing after filling up all the harbours, moved out later. Mar 2, ice came back and stayed until 28th. (JW in GR).
January/February
Jan 8 Twillingate Harbour filled with drift ice. (#492).
Feb 6 Vessel damaged in ice off Scateree. (SCL).
March
Mar 2 SS “Wolf” left port Feb 28, the rest of the sealers are only awaiting a favourable breeze to clear the ice out of their track. (Newf.).
Mar 3 Issue: At present the coast is blockaded with ice, and the prospect of an early clearance (of sealing vessels) is bad, as the wind has set in from the eastward. (PL).
(No other mention of ice in the Public Ledger, mixed assessment of the seal fishery).
Mar 6 The wind veered from NE to SW and having moved the ice off most sealers left the 4th. (Newf.).
Mar 7 About 20 vessels to be seen from Signal Hill all jammed in the ice. (#704).
Mar 9 Ice moved off the coast, last of the sealers left. (#704).
Mar 13 The wind which has prevailed for some days from the NE came round on the 10th to the SW clearing off the ice and giving free range to the vessels which had been icebound to the northward. (Newf.).
Mar 27 Schooner passes Twillingate Harbour on the edge of the ice supposedly taking seals. (#492).
April
Apr 1 “Ospray” first sealer in, got their seals near the Grois Islands. (mention of regular arrivals in early April from England and seal fishery). (#704).
Apr 2 2 Schooners observed in the ice from Twillingate Look-out. (#492).
Apr 3 SS “Ospray” first vessel back from the fishery with bows injured. “Bloodhound” reports a prevalence of calm weather and vessels jammed in the ice. (Newf.).
Apr 5 “Alexandra” at St. John’s from Liverpool 47N 51W passed through large quantities of ice and had part of her cutwater carried away and several sheets of copper rubbed off. (LL).
Apr 19 SS “Nova Scotian” at Lough Foyle 26th, passed 2 bergs. (LL).
Apr 23-May 1 “Shandon” from the Clyde to Quebec passed through a quantity of field ice; she also passed some very large bergs between the Grand Banks and the Flemish Cape, 1st 48N 45W; arrived Quebec May 5. (LL).
Apr 24 Generally favourable voyages. (Newf.).
Apr 30 SS “Cuban” from West Indies to Liverpool 44N 42W to 44W passed several bergs. (LL).
Apr – May Regular arrivals and departures to and fro the ice from Twillingate. (#492).
May (early) Report of an ice bound schooner of St. Paul’s Is. (LL).
May 5 “Southern Rights” at New York from Shields 46N – 47N saw a large quantity of bergs. (LL).
May 24 SS “Hibernian” from Quebec to Londonderry passed several bergs. (LL).
(More Antarctic ice reports in LL than N. Atlantic ones.)